In the poem "African Beggar" the composer conveys his ideas by using very descriptive writing. He also paints a vivid portrait of the beggar and his surroundings by using similes, metaphors and adjectives.

He doesn't just tell a story but rather paints a picture. The reader is in no doubt that this is a tragic story. On the other hand were one to live in an environment where this was an everyday scene then their response would be altogether different. The composer uses shocking descriptive language at first to disgust the reader. For example "sprawled" as opposed to "lying", and metaphors such as "a heap of verminous rags and matted hair".

The composer begins by showing us the beggars surroundings and also that the beggar is the object of ridicule by children, hence the metaphor "a target", as well as being subjected to dogs and flies scavenging for survival like the beggar.

Some common words found in the essay are:
AFRICAN BEGGAR, African Beggar, african beggar, READER'S RESPONSE, composer conveys ideas, african beggar composer, jungle pain, lost trackless jungle, trackless jungle pain, conveys ideas, beggar composer, composer conveys, third stanza, lost trackless, beggar surroundings, trackless jungle, fellow human,
Approximate Word count = 667
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)